


The Tide Changes

by FlyingWrites



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Green Arrow (Comics), Green Arrow - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-30 10:13:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10160933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyingWrites/pseuds/FlyingWrites
Summary: Archer's romance with sanity, II.





	

Some days, Oliver Queen just sits on Purgatory and talks to the spirits.

He's fed up with everything, with still being there, with all the ships passing just passing him by no matter how hard he signals, having starved almost to death, and everyone who was trustworthy having left long time ago.

He's fed up with the spirits, them too, but them, he doesn't tell that, as if even they left, he'd have no one to talk to. Other than memories, and memories bite, hurt, sting, and burn, all together, in the same time.

He tells the spirits he doesn't even know if he's real.  
He tells the spirits he doesn't know and doesn't care if they are.  
He tells the spirits he can't shoot his damned bow any more, because of strain his all too beaten spine just can't take. Because of muscles in his arms he'd need functioning that have only been in a steady decline. Because of breathing he can't get right through the course of multiple untreated pneumonias and returning malaria and dengue, and Gods know what else it is he's caught in this shithole, even in the time he yet had food, which has been a long time ago. Don't get me started on water and how he forgot how to filter out salt water, so all his drinking lately has been very small doses, because, fuck it, salt water is hell on already destroyed kidneys.

He tells the spirits he doesn't even wish for a home any more.  
He tells the spirits home is what visits him in terrifying nightmares.  
And night terrors he's alone for, too, as, oh, luckily there isn't anyone to witness his meltdowns, now.

There isn't anyone to make them worse with daily beatings, and other things he doesn't think of, now.  
But there also isn't anyone to nurse him to health and Oliver is so damned tired.

He tells the spirits he doesn't know how to pray properly.  
And, sorry, I forgot your names, as my Chinese isn't that great.  
He tells the spirits he's sorry he forgot even their names -  
And by that time stops thinking, because grief wave takes him out again.

He tells the spirits his name is Ollie -  
And he's sorry he's not a good son  
(Sorry, Dad)  
But he'll hang on for what he heard, once  
(The tide changes, Oliver.  
Remember that, always. The tide changes.).

The tide changes,  
And he'll wait for it.


End file.
